Office



(No Model.) i

` J. ofwLLs.

x ALARM BELL. l

y Patented Jah. 304', 1894.

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1H! NArwNAl. LrmonnAPmNe coMPAN Nrrn hrarns JOHN C. W'ELLS, OF EASTHAMPTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BEVIN BROTHERS MANUFACTURINGCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

.ALARM-BELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,627, dated January30, 1894.

A Application led October 18, 1893. Serial No. 488,474.` (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern: y

Be it known that I, JOHN C. WELLS, of East Hampton, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Alarm- Bells, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description,whereby any one skilled in the art can make anduse the same.

The object of my invention is to provide an alarm bell that shall beparticularly adapted for use on street cars or other vehicles for thepurpose of sounding the alarm by repeated blows on a loud sounding gongand at the same time to provide a device which shall be less liable tocause the gong to crack under the heavy blows of the hammer.

A further object is to provide a simple, strong and comparatively cheapconstruction of parts of the bell and its sounding mechanlsm.

To this end my invention consists in the details of the several parts-making up the suspended gong and its striking mechanism and in thedetails of the several parts as more particularly hereinafter describedand pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure l is a view in side elevation of thebell shown as attached to the under side of the platform of a vehicle,as a car. Fig. 2 is a detail View in central vertical section throughthe gong and bracket and with levers shown in side view, these partsbeing broken away to show construction. Fig. 3 is a detail top or planView of the striking mechanism and bell cut away` from the bracket inhorizontal section. Fig. 4t is a detail view in end elevation of thebell and its striking mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings the letter a denotes a bracket or basepreferably of metal cast to shape and adapted to be secured to the undersurface of a ioor or platform as by means of bolts b. The bracket in theform shown has a tubular socket a extending upward and adapted to hold atappet c with a broadened head in convenient position to receive thepressure of the foot of the driver of the vehicle, the under end of thetappet being arranged in operative contact with ahammer lever d whichforms part of the bell striking mechanism. This hammer lever d ispivoted to lugs a2 on the bracket a pivot pin e passing through the lugsa2 and the hammer lever forming the fulcrum on which the latter turns.The rear part of the hammerv lever is bifurcated preferably and ispivotaily connected to a bell lever f. This bell lever has an outwardextending armf and a downward eX- tending arm f2, the latter heiligcylindrical and adapted to supporta gong g or sounding shell that ispivotally supported on the arm which extends through a cylindrical holein the center of the gong.` The latter is held in position on the arm f2by any convenient means, as apin f3 extending through the arm andunderlying the hub at the center of the gong. The rear end j" of thebell lever extends through a guide h which is a loop of metal in whichthe end can loosely play.

When the parts are pivotally connected in the manner described and asshown in the drawings the weight of the bell and its supportingmechanism tends to hold the hammer d', which is on the outer end of thehammer lever, in a raised position, and the downward push upon thetappet not only forces the hammer lever downward toward the gong butlifts the gong toward the hammer slightly tilting it forward and upwardand bringing the hammer into contact with the surface of the gong with aforce depending on the force of the pushupon the tappet. As soon aspressure upon the tappet is released the hammer is again raised intoposition for striking by the weight of the bell, and the connectinglever. By repeated blows on the surface of a Xed gong the latter isliable to be cracked and I obviate that danger by providing fora rotarymovement of the gong on its support so that no two blows can be struckin succession on the same point on the surface of the gong.

The mechanism for providing for this rotary movement of the bell is asfollows: On the top of the gong and facing upward a circular rack v.'having ratchet teeth is provided in position to be engaged by the lowerend of a pawl la which is pivoted to the hammer lever. When this pawl ispivoted to the rear' end of the lever, as shown, the downward strikingmovement of the hammer strikes the pawl rearwardly so that it willengage with a tooth of the rack and when the weight of the TOD structureagain raises the hammer the pawl turns the gong on its pivot and so thatthe next blow of the hammer Will fall on a different point on thesurface of the gong from that last encountered by the hammer instriking. This pawl preferably operates by gravity as do the otherparts, no springs being present in the structure.

It is obvious that a different arrangement of the parts may be madewithout departing from the main idea of the invention which principallyconsists in providing for the automatic lifting of the hammer arm by theWeight of the bell and also for the automatic rotary movement of thegong, Without departing from my invention, and my invention is notlimited to the specific combination and arrangement of parts hereindescribed for effecting such purpose.

'I claim as my inventionl. In combination With a bracket or base, ahammer lever pivoted to said base, a gong suspended fromythe hammerlever and serving by its Weight to hold the hammer in a raised position,and atappet for operating the hammer lever, all substantially asdescribed.

2. In combination With a base or bracket, a hammer lever pivoted to saidbase, a bell lever pivoted to the hammer lever, a gong rotativelysupported on the bell lever, mechanism for rotating the gong and meansfor operating the hammer lever, all substantially as described.

3. In combination with a base, a hammer lever p ivoted to said base,abell lever pivoted to the hammer lever and having one end extendingthrough a guide on the base, a gong rotatively supported on a downturnedarm of the bell lever, a rack borne on the upper surface of the gong, apawl borne on the hammer lever with one end in operative engagement withthe rack and a tappet for operating the hammer lever, all substantiallyas described.

4. In combination with a base ahaving a tubular tappet socket a', lugsa2 and a lever guide 71 a hammer lever d pivoted to said lugs on thebase, a bell lever pivoted to the hammer lever in rear of the pivot pine with one arm extending through the guide h and the other arm f3supporting the rotary gong g, the rotary gong g bearing a rack t' on itsupper surface, the pawl 7a pivoted to the hammer lever and in engagementwith said rack, and a tappet c for operating the hammer lever, allsubstantially as described.

JOHN C. WELLS.

Witnesses:

O. W. BEVIN, EMMET B. RICH.

